Weekly Update
Statistics
Client Visits
- 26 in Drive-Thru on Tue, Mar 11
- 39 at Pop-Up Pantry on Wed, Mar 12
- 53 in Drive-Thru on Thu, Thu Mar 13
- 27 New Families this week
- 1,564 YTD Visits
This Sunday!
Please bring your donations of personal care items with you to worship on Sunday, March 16. The food pantry welcomes donations including toiletries, feminine hygiene, dental care products, etc. If you are attending services at North, please look for the donation station sign in the parking lot and drop off your donations before you come inside! If you’re attending services at South, please look for the donation cart at Crane welcome center, where you can drop off your donation with our volunteer.
Volunteers Needed
We need volunteers next week. Click the button below to sign up.
Monday, March 17
9:00 am – 10:00 am Direct Retail Pickup (1)
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm MOFB Shop-Thru (1)
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm Shop & Stock (1)
Tuesday, March 18
8:00 am – 9:00 am MOFB Shop-Thru (1)
8:30 am – 10:30 am Drive Thru Opening Shift (4)
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Drive Thru Closing Shift (4)
Wednesday, March 19
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm MOFB Shop-Thru (2)
Thursday, March 20
8:00 am – 9:00 am MOFB Shop-Thru (1)
8:30 am – 10:30 am Drive Thru Opening Shift (3)
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Drive Thru Closing Shift (2)
Friday, March 21
9:00 am – 10:00 am Direct Retail Pickup (1)
9:30 am – 10:30 am Cold Stocking (1)
News & Events
Generosity Match-a-thon
Donations made to Heart to Heart through March 31 will be doubled up to $20,000 thanks to the generosity of Duke Thomas. He offers this matching grant in loving memory of his wife, Jill, who was the first official director of Heart to Heart. This is the eleventh year we have received this gift from the Thomas Family, which has enabled our food pantry to serve an ever-growing number of clients.
Each week throughout this fundraising campaign, we experience the impact of Heart to Heart from a different perspective. Click links below to watch previous videos:
- Week 1 Co-founder & Donor: Cathy Klamar
- Week 2 Client: Stacia Billings
- Week 3 Volunteer: Carolyn Barger
This video was not correctly linked last week. Click Carolyn’s name above to view the video. The link in last week’s blog post has been corrected.
In this week’s video update, our food pantry manager, Yohan Kim describes the impact he witnesses because of the services provided at Heart to Heart. The effects of this mission work are experienced not only by clients, but within the Heart to Heart volunteer team, First Community members and our surrounding neighborhoods. Your financial contributions to our operating budget supports the work that makes it happen!
We met our match… and then some! As of Wednesday, we have raised $27,109 during our fundraising campaign that started on Valentine’s Day. We are grateful for the generosity of all the donors who contributed! While our goal to be matched has been achieved, we hope you’ll still consider making a gift to Heart to Heart. This is our largest fundraiser of the year, but we welcome ongoing financial contributions in any amount, from anyone at anytime! If you would like to make a contribution toward this campaign, see the donation instructions below.
Watch additional Campaign Videos:
April 12 Shred Day
Heart to Heart food pantry will once again participate in the UAHS PTO Shred Day and donation collection. Hyre Personal Wealth Advisors and Herb Gillen Agency sponsor rental of a Shred-It truck for this event annually. The public are welcome to come with a box of documents to be shred for a suggested donation of $5/box. Originally conceived as a sort of Spring Cleaning event, Heart to Heart has been on site each year since its inception, collecting non-perishable food. This year, First Community has expanded their presence, collecting items for four ministries! Click the flyer below for more information.
Standing Invitation
Join us on Tuesday, March 18, for a special guest speaker at our Mission & Community Justice meeting at 6:30pm. Ms. Ashlesha Onawale, Director of the Deep Griha Society, in Pune, India, will share about the mission and work of Deep Griha Society (“DGS”) – an independent charitable organization working to better the lives of low income, informal communities in Pune, India. DGS is one of the partner missions First Community supports. They work with participants in and around Pune through a range of family welfare programs encompassing education, healthcare, child development and women’s empowerment. Join us on March 18th, to meet Ashlesha, learn about DGS, and enjoy a time of Q&A.
After Ashlesha’s presentation, we will split into our individual ministry teams for small group meetings. Everyone involved or interested in the work of our Missions and Community Justice teams is invited to join us. You do not need to RSVP or commit to future attendance. Please mark your calendar for these important meetings which will occur on the third Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm.
In the News
This week brings news of sweeping policy changes and proposals that will affect many, including the clients at Heart to Heart food pantry. Mid-Ohio Food Collective emails a regular newsletter from their Foodbank Advocacy Network (FAN) to their partner agencies. Included in March 14’s monthly FAN Update newsletter:
“At Mid-Ohio Food Collective, our advocacy efforts are driven by the belief that everyone deserves access to nutritious food and the opportunity to thrive. Advocacy is more important than ever. Whether through contacting legislators, sharing your story, or staying informed, your voice makes a difference. Keep an eye on our website and advocacy alerts for ways to take action!”
Related news items:
- Ohio food banks brace for reduced aid with proposed $7.5 million budget cut.
- Ohio House Bill No 96 to increase minimum wage
- What New Bill Means for SNAP Benefits
- USDA cut more than $1 billion a year in food assistance programs to schools and foodbanks
Updates on the Farm Bill and related federal programs, plus advocacy information is available at:
Sign up to receive the FAN update emails.
Thank You Tri-Village Rotary
Bright and early on Wednesday morning, Amy Caskie had the pleasure of hosting a Tri-Village Rotary meeting at First Community. About 15 of the club’s 40-some members attended, including FCC’s own Doug Torrance. In addition to their regular meeting agenda, Amy led them through a tour of the FC South campus. The group stopped at all spaces used by Heart to Heart to learn more about what happens in each of them. Prior to the tour, Bill Hall (Rotarian) presented a $4,000 donation in support of our food pantry operations! Some of these Rotary members will return to Heart to Heart later this month with donations from their current food drive and plan to stock shelves with Yohan. We are grateful for the generosity of Tri-Village Rotary for their financial donation, holding a food drive, and volunteering with us. The Rotary club has supported Heart to Heart food pantry in so many ways in the past and we are grateful for our continued relationship with them.
News
News from Mid-Ohio Food Collective!
Friday, March 21 – Tuesday, April 1
On April 4, Mid-Ohio Foodbank is launching new software for use by partner agencies, including Heart to Heart! While this change will lead to improved and more efficient service in the future, we will likely experience some hiccups during the transition coming soon.
For one week, both systems will be down while their warehouse conducts inventory and does the work required to make the switch internally. All agencies, including Heart to Heart, will be unable to access their inventory, start any new orders, or make changes to existing orders during the shut down. Also, we received this notice that Shop-Thru is unavailable beginning Monday March 24 and reopens Tuesday, April 1*
What to anticipate:
- MOFB has already started to limit the acquisition of new items in their warehouse. We may run out of things more quickly in the next few weeks, since we are unable to order replacements. You will notice this next week if you haven’t already.
- Our next few orders may be a bit unusual! We plan to order significantly more for the order on March 24 that will be used during this time period. However, we must still be mindful of our budget, volunteer workforce, and storage space.
- For six full days, we will be unable to pick up produce and fresh dairy items, among other items typically available in the drive-thru. While we will try to stock up on things like produce, we cannot store perishable items indefinitely, so we will just have less. When Shop-Thru reopens, demand will be extreme!
- If you are willing or planning to donate produce or fresh dairy items, please make arrangements with Yohan prior to delivery to ensure adequate preparation.
- Every one of MOFC’s partner agencies will be experiencing the same challenges. We aren’t being treated unfairly or missing opportunities. Our clients will probably face the same issues at different food pantries, while pantries with alternative resources (buying/obtaining food elsewhere) may be inundated.
- Our volunteer order coordinators (Mike and Mark) and the Heart to Heart staff (Yohan, Amy and Amanda) will take trainings on the new software over the next few weeks.
Most of us are lucky to be accustomed to plenty, and at Heart to Heart we usually have a sufficient quantity and/or variety of both shelf-stable and fresh items for our clients. But you can expect shortages for the next several weeks as MOFC transitions to new software. We have faith that the staff and volunteers will remain flexible an patient as we adapt. The good news is- everything is temporary!
Read the notices straight from MOFC:
Please pay particular attention to Yohan’s emails, the SignUp Genius, and our social media during this time. He will communicate last minute opportunities or changes as soon as possible.